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The King’s Foundation and Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future announce partnership

January 20, 2025

The King’s Foundation is partnering with Qatar Foundation’s Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future to establish four urban development pilot projects around the world that demonstrate how traditional knowledge can guide 21st century sustainable practices. The projects will take place in India, Guyana, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania.

The two-year collaboration – announced by Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, and representatives from The King’s Foundation at an event at our charity headquarters, Dumfries House – reflects both institutions’ shared belief in the importance of traditional knowledge to foster environmental sustainability, drive local economic growth, and build strong and resilient communities.

During a formal discussion at Dumfries House, The King’s Foundation representatives outlined our work in addressing urbanization, climate change, and biodiversity loss, followed by a discussion on sustainable development and the role of indigenous knowledge – a key element of the agreement between Qatar Foundation and The King’s Foundation.

After the discussion, His Majesty King Charles III, Royal Founding President of the Foundation, joined attendees for a short reception to celebrate the partnership.

Other dignitaries present at the launch of the partnership were His Excellency the President Julius Maada and First Lady Fatima Maada of the Republic of Sierra Leone; Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, Commonwealth Secretariat; His Excellency Mbelwa Brighton Kairuki, Tanzania’s High Commissioner to the UK; Sonia Savitri Parag, Guyana’s Minister for Local Government and Regional Development; and Manvendra Singh Shekhawat, Founder of Dhun, India.

“Our partnership with The King’s Foundation stands on a shared belief: that the timeless wisdom of traditional knowledge, shaped by generations in harmony with nature, holds the key to building a sustainable future for our world.
In safeguarding the cultural heritage of these four Commonwealth countries, we are also safeguarding the invaluable knowledge and transforming it into a living resource for sustainable development.”

Her Excellency Sheikha Hind

“We are looking forward to bringing our work in building sustainable communities and transforming lives to this new partnership. We have a long history of promoting traditional knowledge and skills to inform our future and how we build our towns and cities, which means we can hit the ground running on this range of new projects. We are grateful to those involved for their support and vision in taking this forward.”

Kristina Murrin CBE, Chief Executive of The King’s Foundation

The four projects, selected to represent traditional sustainability practices in different regions, will demonstrate how cultural heritage can inform architectural design and construction in the face of contemporary challenges, informing sustainable urban planning. The insights gained from these projects in India, Guyana, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania will be shared with countries that face similar challenges, including Qatar.

The four projects will be showcased at the upcoming second edition of the Earthna Summit – to be held in Doha, Qatar, from 22-23 April 2025 – which will focus on advancing sustainability in hot and arid environments, drawing on Qatar’s rich cultural heritage and unique ecosystems. Find out more and register your interest.

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